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VIDEO: Has male objectification gone too far?

In a society that’s objectified women to sell products and movie tickets since, well, the beginning of time, it seems like a step forward that men are finally starting to receive the same kind of sexualised treatment on our screens as their female counterparts. Or does it? Does the recent influx of topless men targeted at the female and gay gaze really signal a movement towards greater gender equality? Or are there some darker motivations at play behind the trend? Let’s take a look.

Firstly, what connects the majority of ‘male objectification’ scenes versus the ol’ ‘female objectification’ scenes we know and hate? Rather than boobs and bums, the focus is largely on abs and arms. In other words, muscles, and sources of physical strength. It’s been that way in backwards gender terms forever. Women are valued for their child-rearing lady lumps, and men are prized for their hunting and providing power. Nothing new. However, there is something a little interesting in how this affects the sexualised representations of men and women that we see in movies and on TV…

Remember Seth McFarlane’s hideously sexist Oscars song, ‘We Saw Your Boobs’? Announcing a list of women who had appeared topless for roles in movies, the song basically set out to name and shame, implying that females who had bared their bodies for the camera should be embarrassed that they had ever dared to behave in such a way, and should feel vulnerable that the whole world can now basically perve on them on demand. Meanwhile, what’s the response to male actors proudly flaunting their toned torsos, who are presented as the men guys want to be and girls want to be with?

Mostly peacocking around with confidence or languidly lounging in their own self-satisfaction, these guys aren’t made to feel any guilt or shame. They’ve worked hard to achieve their bulging bods. Society applauds them for broadcasting their sexuality, and holds them up as exemplary physical specimens to be put on display. In short, naked women are vulnerable and ready for exploitation, and naked men are finely tuned, self-made machines to be worshipped. As MagicMike‘sJoe Manganiello so eloquently put it, “women are sex objects and men are success objects”. So how is this equal?

Another potentially harmful upshot of the rise of male objectification is the issue of body image. A number of the actors in our video montage below (Chris Hemsworth, Liam Hemsworth, Chris Evans) owe their careers to their abs, and have since gone on to score bigger roles based on their actual talents. Meanwhile, others continue to rely on their muscles for money (we’re looking at you, Zac Efron). But overall, the message is clear. Men who work out, diet, and achieve the impossible Adonis ideal are the ones who get the girl, get the high paying job, and basically get what they want in life. It applies to both the actors and the characters they play. So why am I going on about something we all know is a problem?

Basically, any situation where human beings are objectified is bad. The increasingly repeated images of guys working out, flexing in front of the mirror, and/or impressing girls by taking their shirts off, puts a pressure on men to reach unobtainable physical ideals (yes, male anorexia is a thing, y’all) and, in return, puts a pressure on women to keep up with them. We all remember the venomous backlash to Patrick Wilson’s cameo on Girls, where the Twitterverse protested that such an attractive man would never hook up with such an ‘unattractive’ girl as Lena Dunham. Yet nobody makes a peep when the roles are reversed (Seth Rogen & Rose Byrne in Bad Neighbours, Charlotte & Harry in Sex and the City, Homer & Marge Simpson)… Rather than taking the focus off female body pressures, male objectification only serves to exacerbate our obsession with appearances. Nobody should be objectified. This is not progress.

And while we’re at it, isn’t it kind of condescending to the intelligence of female and gay audiences to presume that this is what we’ve all been waiting for? You can just imagine the people who masterminded these male shirtless scenes sitting around a table and generously capitulating; ‘alright, let’s give them what they so sorely want’. Throw out a naked Channing Tatum and watch the hens’ feathers (and ticket sales) fly. When we see gratuitous shirtlessness from the men on our screens, chances are these are in lieu of any narrative sophistication. The implication is that the cheap thrill of seeing a muscly man is all women really want from a viewing experience. It’s the same as all those scenes where female characters are rendered weak at the knees by a man taking his shirt off. Even without clothing, the man is on top, and the woman is powerless. So we ask again, what was that about male objectification giving women ascendancy?

We could continue on about all the things wrong with male objectification, but chances are, the evil and manipulative trope will continue to bulge before our eyes. Zac Efron fans will see that the new Baywatch movie makes a big splash at the box office, Aidan Turner’s BAFTA TV Audience Award will keep his abs warm at night, and the video below will get thousands and thousands of views on YouTube. Sigh. What’s a girl to do?

More on Films

Why do emotionally distressed women cut their hair off in movies and TV?

Why is it that a woman going through a significant and/or traumatic time in her life is so often denoted in film and television by a spontaneous, vigorous, tearful, cathartic haircutting scene? Frequently employed to communicate a female character’s inner turmoil or need for ‘transformation’, this cringeworthy visual convention is typically accompanied by stirring music – with or without affecting lyrics – to draw us into the gravity of the moment. But why exactly is this trope considered such an effective shorthand? Let’s pick it apart.

On the one hand, shorter hair is associated with ‘the masculine’. By joining the boys’ club of buzz cuts and baldness, and thereby shedding an outward display of ‘femininity’, a woman is clearly striving for empowerment. Secondly, the spontaneous act of haircutting is irrational – like all women, who are controlled by their hysterical wombs… And appearance is everything; so if a woman is willing to change hers so dramatically in the spur of the moment, her thoughts and emotions must be in a pretty erratic place, right?

The sad thing is, so many of the women whom we see cutting their hair in movies and TV are responding to some truly horrific experiences. Take Jodie Foster in 1988 drama The Accused, who cuts her hair in a fit of rage after being violently gang raped. Or Law and Order: SVU’s Olivia Benson, who gives herself a tearful makeover after being kidnapped and tortured. Isn’t reducing these ordeals to hackneyed haircutting scenes kind of trivial? What would a man do in a similar situation? Violently retaliate, or pursue justice in some tangible, rational way?

Another more disturbing reading of distressed haircutting and headshaving scenes is that these are acts of penance. Bringing to mind images of ritual shaming, the female punishes herself by stripping off a source, or in fact the only source, of her power: her beauty and sexuality. It’s a point of mockery in that bastion of good taste and sophistication, Family Guy, where Peter is seen parodying Foster’s character in The Accused.

So why do filmmakers continue to fall back on this hideous cliche, even in shows and films purporting to be ‘modern’ and ‘empowering’? Are we not past this reductive treatment of female psychology, in which a woman’s identity is defined by how she looks? A hasty haircut shouldn’t be the emotional climax of a character’s journey, yet so often this is the case. Maybe we’ll live to see a future when women’s and men’s mental issues are treated with similar profundity on screen. Who knows? We might even see actors and actresses receiving equal pay for equal work! *sigh* Until then, a girl can only dream…

We also made this essay into a video! Click below to watch our haircut supercut of 37+ women losing their minds and manes on screen.

The anti-immigration propaganda of Aardman’s ‘The Farmer’s Llamas’

Chaos will come to Amazon Prime and BBC One this winter, in Aardman’s The Farmer’s Llamas. A thirty-minute spinoff of family favourite Shaun the Sheep, the Christmas special will air across the… read more

More on Christmas 2015

The anti-immigration propaganda of Aardman’s ‘The Farmer’s Llamas’

Chaos will come to Amazon Prime and BBC One this winter, in Aardman’s The Farmer’s Llamas. A thirty-minute spinoff of family favourite Shaun the Sheep, the Christmas special will air across the UK to a vast audience of children and their parents; many of whom are likely to have grown up themselves with fond memories of Wallace & Gromit and Aardman’s heritage of festive specials. However, this reviewer finds it hard to see past the more problematic messages disguised as fuzzy fun via plasticine figures.

Created by Richard Starzak and directed by Jay Grace, Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas sees an idyllic English setting torn apart by foreign intruders. If you think I’m exaggerating the point, check out this synopsis from Aardman’s official website:

When the Farmer and Bitzer go to a Country Fair, Shaun steals away with them intent on causing mischief. Shaun spies an auction where he sees three exotic and very crafty Llamas going under the hammer. Instantly besotted by their fantastic pranks Shaun cleverly gets the unwitting Farmer to buy them.

Back at Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun is delighted with his prank and convinces the Flock that the Llamas are just what they need to spice up their lives. At first everything’s great fun, but soon their new Llama room-mates get a bit too comfortable in their new home.

When things spiral out of control, Shaun is forced to take action to oust the intruders and save the farm.

Here are those aggressive ‘intruders’ being chased out by the white, English sheep in the official teaser for the special. The latter might look more at home in pointed white hoods than woollen fleece…

So what’s the big deal?

The problem with The Farmer’s Llamas is its focus on the llamas’ cultural difference; a difference that is negative, inferior, and worst of all, threatening to the ‘English way of life’.

One is forced to question the allegorical message behind a group of odd looking, foreign intruders named Hector, Fernando and Raul causing chaos in an otherwise perfect English country setting, before their being ‘ousted’ sees that peace is restored.

While similarly focussing on Peruvian immigrants to the UK, The Farmer’s Llamas seems a far cry from the inclusive spirit of 2014 family favourite Paddington, which was critically acclaimed for its messages of acceptance for an orphaned Peruvian bear who arrives in London via boat as a refugee. Which is a shame, because the beauty of Shaun the Sheep is its lack of spoken dialogue, making it accessible to and hugely popular amongst audiences all around the world.

We have seen in such examples as the afore mentioned Paddington, and Disney Jr’ hit Doc McStuffins – whose female, African American titular character has inspired countless young viewers to view gender, ethnicity, and/or social background as no obstacle to achieving their dreams – that programming for young audiences can have a considerable impact on the world views of children.

Maybe I’m taking a simple kids’ TV show too seriously. Or maybe, recognising the highly impressionable minds of their primary audience, especially on such mainstream platforms as BBC One and Amazon Prime, the creators of children’s TV need to be more responsible with the deceptively innocuous power they wield.

Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas premieres on Amazon Prime Instant Video UK on November 13th. It will also show on BBC One over the Christmas period.

More on BFI London Film Festival

What I learned as a press delegate at the London Film Festival

After two blissful weeks of non-stop film viewing and rubbing shoulders with megastars, my first stint as a press delegate at the BFI London Film Festival sadly comes to a close.

While only the super devoted will have taken to overnight stays at Odeon Leicester Square, the festival nevertheless felt like a camp for adults, as throngs of likeminded individuals from all across the globe gathered together in the celebration of feature film.

What first began as an impulsive decision to fill out a press application back in August has truly turned out to be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences in my journalistic career thus far, affording access to conferences and events I had previously only dreamed of. That being said, one has to keep their wits about them if they’re hoping to get the most out of the festival programme.

Here’s some sage advice, with love from an as-now seasoned festival goer, to those looking to apply for accreditation next year.

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1. The delegates’ website is a labyrinth to navigate.Looking to find out about venues, timings, access, or any other essential info about press events online? Forget about it! Ok, perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but while I consider myself rather computer literate, I was hopelessly confused by the Festival’s delegate website. Rest assured though, as the daily emails from the LFF PR team will tell you everything you need to know. These event notifications may only give you 24 hours’ notice (or less), so make sure you’re keeping yourself in the loop and using an email address that you’ll be checking constantly.

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2. The days are long.Press screenings can start in the 8am regions, and premiere galas push on past 9pm. If you’re going to conferences in between, you may find yourself rushed off your feet a lot during the festival, so… [see points 3 and 6].

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3. Choose your events wisely.The programme is jam packed with gems, so the sad truth is, you won’t be able to do everything you want to. From my experience this year, red carpets can be a gamble, as the stars may be feeling press-shy and choose not to stop for a chat [or, in the odd case, they may even be disrupted by a protest]. Press conferences are a much better bet for getting a quote, as: (a) they’re in a calmer, get-down-to-business kind of environment, (b) they’re earlier in the day, so everyone’s feeling fresh and ready to go, and (c) they’re more exclusive, with a better chance of getting your voice heard and your questions answered. That being said, refer to point 4.

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4. Get to press conferences early.Unless you’re upper-echelon press (national print media etc.), it can be competitive getting into the oversubscribed conferences. However, I was lucky enough to get into all of the conferences I wanted, including star features Suffragette, Trumbo, and Carol. The trick is to get to the venues as early as possible, as entry works on a first come, first served basis. This means you won’t have time for that leisurely coffee or toilet break after a screening, and it’s best to plan your route to the conference room in advance.

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5. Wear comfortable shoes.Specifically, don’t wear open-toe, heeled sandals! As mentioned above, the days are long, meaning the October weather can go from mild to pretty darn cold in the span of twelve hours. There’s also a lot of running around between screening and conference venues, so sneakers are more appropriate attire than your best stilettos.

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6. You get out what you put in.I went to a lot during the festival, yet I still wish I’d gone to more. There’s definitely something to be said for pacing yourself, as you may – like I did – find yourself with only snatches of time to write your reviews or transcribe your interviews. However, the festival has so much to offer that you’d be a fool to waste what the golden ticket of a press badge entitles you to. If you can do so, attend as many screenings (free cinema visits!) as you can, and definitely don’t skip the early morning showings in exchange for a lie-in. These tend to be the films followed by press conferences, and you don’t want to find yourself in front of Meryl Streep having not just seen the movie she’s promoting.

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7. Be social.Readers who have ever met the ‘person behind the piece’ will find this pointer rich, knowing I’m not very good at making friends. Nevertheless, most delegates will be attending the festival alone, and will almost always be up for a chat about the movie you just watched together, or the talk you’re standing in line for. More cynically, you’re going to be bumping into the same faces day after day for two weeks. Save everyone the awkwardness by introducing yourself early, rather than exchanging tentative glances over the next fourteen days.

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Are you a member of the press and want to attend next year’s BFI London Film Festival? Of course you do! Look out for delegate applications in August 2016.